Musical bar



June 14, 1927- H- E. WINTERHOFF MUSICAL BAR Filed Jan. 22. 1923 INVENTOR Patented 14, 1921.

' UNITED. STATES 1,632,751- PATENT, OFFICE.

minus I. WINTIBHOI'I', OI INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ABSIGNOB TO LIED! m- UIACTUBING COMPANY, DIANA.

or mmanAroms, INDIANA, A OOBPOMHON or nt- HUBIOAL m Application flied January 22, 1923. se'rlal No. 814,184.

My invention relates to improvements in musical bars and particularly to that type of bar used in marimbas and xylophones.

One of the objects of my invention is to a produce a musical bar by which increased harmony may be produced in performing upon the same.

Marimba bars and xylophon'ej-bars, and particularly marimba bars, as isyvell understood,-depend upon their length and thickness for the note produced. Frequently in order to lower the note of a bar without increasing its len h the central portion of the bar is concave so that the middle portion U at which the bar is intended to be struck is comparatively thin and the bar gradually increases in thickness toward the end. Correspondingly, in order to raise the note of a bar of a given thickness without increasing the length thereof, the ends of the bar are tapered off, that is, the thickness of the bar is caused to gradually decrease from near the center toward the end.

I have discovered that in these various types of bars as above produced, the first overtone of the bar (more noticeably produced by striking the bar beyond its center) is not octavely spaced from he fundamental tone of the bar, this overtone being approximately one fourth of an octave reater than an octave interval from, the undamental tone of the bar. As a result, in playing upon a Xylophone or marimba of the present commercial type, if the operator strikes the bars to one side of the center the resultant first overtone is accentuated and, as it is not octavely spaced with relation to the fundamental tone of the bar, a

discord follows.

It is one of the objects of my invention to produce a musical bar wherein this overtone shall be octavely spaced with relation to the fundamental tone.

For the purpose of illustrating my in'-' vention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one type of bar embodyin my invention, and

Fig. 2 is anot er type of bar embodying my invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 the bar as shown comprises an elongated wooden marimba bar. The note produced by this bar is dependent upon its length and thickness and upon the concavity on .one face. That is, the bar 1 is of a predetermined length and thickness to produce a given fundamental note and has formed on one face thereof the arcu'ate concave portion whereby the bar will be rendered comparatlvely thin at its center 2 which will gradually increase in thickness as at 3itoward the ends. I have discovered that by properly graduating the thickness of the bar the first overtone of the bar may be octavely spacedrelative to the fundamental tone. In the type of musical bar heretofore produced, while the bar has been gradually decreased in thickness from its ends toward its middle, no attempt has been made to octavely tune the first overtone of the bar by controlling this 7 graduation, nor, so far as, I am informed, has it been appreciated that this accurate tuning of the first overtone. of the bar could be produced,

'In the type of bar illustrated J11 Fig. 2 T5 the bar tapers from its maximum thickness at its center 4 to its minimum 5 toward each end, whereby the note of the bar is raised. I have discovered that in this construction the same result may be obtained bycontrolling the graduation of the taper so that the first overtone of the bar will be octaveiy spaced relative to the fundamental tone.

As a result of my construction I am enabled to produce musical bars, and particu larly that type which is used in marimbas and xylophones, whereby the performer is enabled to produce more harmonious effects than with the type of nuisical barnow conimercially produced. 7

The desired accurate tune of the first overtone is obtained in the following manner Taking abar of desired length anddensity and uniform thickness, the interval between the fundamental tone and the first overtone will be a musical eleventh approximately. This has been well known for many years. A desired lower fundamental tone may be obtained from this bar by decreasing its thickness at the middle and the common 10o manner of obtaining this decrease has been by cutting an arcuate notch in one or both faces of the bar, the shape of this cut having heretofore been largely a matter of individual taste. because no attention has been in; paid to the resultant first overtone and therefore, heretofore, the musical interval between the resultant fundamental tone and the re sultant first overtone has been a neglected variable, the variation from the natural musino accurate statement of the amount of modifical interval of approximately a musical eleventh bein increased depending upon the shape of tie cut and havin heretofore been a neglected value. This, 0 course, has produced a first overtone enharmonic with the fundamental and neglected by the producer as having heretofore been ineradicable.

I have discovered that by proper proportioning the thickness of the bar approximately at the antinodal points of the first overtone, as compared with the thickness of the bar at the antinodal oint of the fundamental tone, i. e. the mid le of the bar, I can tune the first overtone so that it will be octavely spaced from the fundamental tone. That is to say ;-a reduction in thickness of the bar at its middle lowers the pitch of the fundamental tone more rapidly than it lowers the pitch of the first overtone so that the natural musical interval of a musical eleventh, which existed in the bar of uniform thickness, will in he notched bar, be greater than this interval and my invention resides in making this interval harmonious.

Any local reduction in thickness of the bar adjacent the antinodal oints of the first overtone, unavoidably resu ts in a proportionate lowering of the fundamental tone, but this lowering of the fundamental tone is through a smaller musical interval than the lowering of the pitch of the first overtone. Consequentl I find that it is advisable, after having determined the desired length of bar,

to make the initial reduction of thickness at the middle such that the fundamental tone will be a little sharp. The thickness at or near the antinodes of the first overtone is then carefully reduced (and the thickness at other points in the length of the bar also reduced if necessary) until the desired fundamental is attained and the first overtone is octavely spaced therefrom. This spacing, in the type of bar shown in Fig. l is two octaves.

The same method of procedure is followed in producing bars of the type shown in Fig. 2 except that the initial cut makes the fun damental tone a little Hat and the reduction of thickness adjacent the antinodal points of the first overtone raises the pitch of the fundamental and also raises the pitch of the first overtone until there is an interval of one octave between the fundamental and first overtone.

It is not possible for me to give any more cation of thickness which may be required because each bar, due to its own idiosyncrasies of variable density, and its length and thickness must be carefully humored by methods which are now well known by producers of these bars in the attainment of the desired fundamental.

My improvement resides in the discovery that bars of this kind may, and should, be

voiced as to its overtone, or its first overtone, as well as being tuned for its fundamental tone, and that the enharmonic effects heretofore supposed to be inherent in instruments of this character (especially of those resulting from too vigorous or nonexpert mampulation) may be wholly eliminated by such voicing of the bar.

An instrument comprising a-series of bars constructed as above,'is, in effect, increased in its range because, when my bars have been thus voiced, they may be vigorously struck at the antinodes of the first overtone so that such overtones will dominate the fundamental, thereby, in effect, acting as a bar tuned one or two octaves higher.

I claim as my invention:

1 The method of treating musical bars which conslsts in proportionately reducing the thickness thereof at or near its fundamental tone and overtone antinodes until the fundamental tone and desired overtone are tuned in octaves.

2. A musical bar so thinned at the antinodes of the fundamental tone and first overtone that the first ovcrtonewill be octavely spaced from the fundamental tone.

3. The method of treatin musical bars which consists in reducin the thickness of the bar at the antinode of the fundamental tone to produce a fundamental tone slightly higher than the desired fundamental tone, and then thinning the bar at antinodes of the first overtone, thereby simultaneously lowering the pitch of the fundamental tone and first overtone, (the pitch of the first overtone lowering proportionally more than the pitch of the fundamental tone), the thinning at the antinodes of the fundamental tone and first overtone being so proportioned as to bring the first overtone to an octave spacing1 from the fundamental tone.

4. T e method of treating musical bars which consists in makin the thickness at the antinode of the fun amental tone different from the thickness at adjacent portions of the bar so as to produce a fundamental tone slightly ditierent in pitch from the desired pitch, and then reducing the thickness of the bar adjacent the antinodes of the first overtone, thereby simultaneously affecting the pitches of the fundamental tone and first overtone, (the pitch of the first overtone being changed proportionally different from the pitch of the fundamental tone), the thickness of the bar being so proportioned as to bring the first overtone to an octave spacing from the fundamental tone.

In witness whereof I, HERMAN E. (IN- TERHOFF, have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this (3th day of January, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three.

HERMAN E. WINTERHOFF. 

